FAQs
What items will my child need each day?
● Reusable water bottle
● Sunscreen, swimsuit, swim shoes/sandals, and a towel
● We have Banana Boat sunscreen for camper use. If you’re bringing a specific sunscreen from home, you’ll need to complete this form for the sunscreen. It is a funny legality that sunscreen is considered a medication, but alas, we must follow it
● Optional: a back up change of clothes labeled with name (for accidents or forgotten swimsuit changes)
● Emergency and daily medication, if applicable.
What if my child has medical needs, food allergies or cannot eat certain food products for religious reasons?
If your child has profound/severe needs, please schedule a call with Jen before registering to ensure our camp is able to meet the needs of your camper. If there is a chance of a severe allergic reaction, please ensure we have all the necessary medication and are comfortable with the action plan before leaving your child with us. With written permission and an agreed upon action plan, we can administer daily medication to our campers. You can find our medical permission form here. Please put the completed form in a ziplock bag with your child’s medication. Please write your camper’s name on the outside of the bag.
My child needs 1:1 help, can you accommodate?
We are not set-up or staffed to help a camper 1:1. While camp cannot provide an aide, families are welcome to provide an aide for their camper as long as they are cleared by us first. Once we’ve received all the completed paperwork and confirmed background checks are clear for an aide, they will be able to attend camp with your camper. This can be a lengthy process as background checks can take weeks to clear. If this is the right step for your family, we recommend reaching out as soon as possible to begin.
Is there air conditioning?
All of our classrooms are air conditioned, as well as the cafeteria.
When is the best time to plan our family vacation?
Many families chose to plan their vacation in the two week time period after camp ends. If you are a Chicago Public School (CPS) family planning it in the two week time period once camp has ended will fills the gap of time between Jen’s Camp ending and CPS opening. This year, that begins the week of Monday, August 12, 2024.
2024 is an exceptionally long summer with Chicago Public Schools announcing in late winter that summer would be extended by a week and subsequently shortened by a week in 2025.
Why is there a Bonus Week?
We've got a bonus week coming your way! Chicago Public Schools decided to extend summer (2024) by a whole extra week because of a big convention hitting town. So, guess what we did? We snagged one more week of camp for you at Jen's Camp! It's like a surprise bonus level in a video game. Now, since this week wasn't originally planned, we had to set up a whole new registration just for it. But hey, it's worth it for an extra week of fun and care for families and campers alike. Let's make this bonus week one to remember! 🎉
What should my child wear?
Comfortable clothes and closed toed shoes suitable for running and being outdoors (water appropriate gear brought separately). During the day we will be both inside and outside. Depending on what your camper is choosing to do, they can be very active and can get messy. We strongly recommend you camper(s) wear clothing that (you and/or they) will not be devastated if it is stained/ruined. We take care to get washable paint, chalk, and markers but alas stains can still happen. Please try to remember to label clothing with your camper’s name. If we find an item of clothing, we will put it on our lost and found racks. Our lost and found racks are right by the camper pick up/drop off area so caregivers and campers can look through the racks daily.
Where will my camper store their water bottle and swimsuit?
When campers arrive, our staff will help them get their water bottle into a water bottle crate. These crates travel outside, to snacks, and to lunch. Campers should bring their items in a bag/backpack. Our staff will point out the designated area for their bag. Please try to remember to write your camper’s name on their belongings to help ensure items that may be accidentally misplaced have the best chance of finding their way back to your family.
Lost and Found
Lost and found items will be placed on our lost and found racks. We donate items from our lost and found every other week during summer and at the end of the week for spring break camp. The lost and found is kept by our check in/out area so you can easily look for items that may belong to your camper(s) at drop-off/pick-up before they are donated.
When and how should I drop off and pick up my camper?
The only entrance/exit to camp is the school’s main entrance (Door 1), located on Orchard Street. Staff are always just inside of that door and available to check-in/out campers at any time. If your camper is attending their first day of camp, please try to have them arrive before our 9:30a snack so that they can meet a few staff and hear the announcements. You are able to check your camper in/out multiple times a day so you do not have to worry about (for example) bringing them at 9a, and checking them out at 10:30 to run them to the dentist and then returning. We truly want to make things easy for you and for them. Again, no extra fees.
Do you take field trips?
We stay put and bring fun exciting things to camp. We want to offer maximum flexibility for our families and allow them to drop-off/pick-up at any time during our camp hours. By bringing the fun to us, caregivers can always find us at camp and pick- up and drop-off as needed versus chasing a field trip throughout the city.
Will campers be on screens (ipads) all day?
Simply put, no. (Cue a big sigh of relief for many caregivers). Screen activities are only open during certain times of the day. Reminder: no electronics from home can be brought to camp.
Can you teach my camper to crochet?
Sure, but only if they want to learn. We are happy to suggest activities to campers but ultimately, they get to decide which activities they’re going to participate in and when. With our schedule they cannot be in one activity for the entire day.
What is your cell phone policy?
They are not allowed. Campers can access all kinds of things on a cell phone and they will miss out on the fun of camp. We have a phone at our HQ and are happy to send you a text if needed to alert you a camper has arrived/been checked out or just to check-in throughout the day. We want our staff engaging with the kids and the kids engaging in activities. We can’t be policing cell phone usage and achieve that. If your camper must bring a cell phone to camp, alert us at check in. We will store it at our HQ (front desk) with their name on a post-it. We are not responsible if it gets lost or misplaced. Your camper may come call or send you a text while standing at HQ.
Do you apply sunscreen?
We recommend applying sunscreen before your camper arrives to camp. We have sunscreen for the campers to use and apply throughout the day. Need a special sunscreen? Fill out a medical form (yes, it is a funny legality). Feel free to bring it and check it in when you arrive to camp.
How do I know if my camper is ready to attend camp?
Campers need to be at least 5 years old on the day they attend camp. Campers need to enjoy independently navigating their day. While there is a schedule, there is a lot of choice. Campers also need to be able to independently use the bathroom and change into/out of their swim gear if they chose to change for water activities. Both knowing when to go and being able to manage their entire bathroom experience are required.
Can my camper bring toys from home?
No. Do not send your camper with any toys, cards, electronics, lovies, etc. from home!
We have so many fun activities and we are not responsible for any lost or misplaced items. Staff are here at camp to remain focused on engaging with the campers. When staff are searching for a missing cherished item, they may need to be prepping for an activity as planned. If they are searching for a missing item, then the next activity is not prepared as planned and all of camp misses out. To keep things flowing nicely at camp, home things need to stay at home. If a camper is really missing something that brings them comfort, we have had them draw that object on paper. Once they’re done drawing, they talk to a peer or staff about how special the item is to them, what it is named, etc. The camper can carry that paper around in their pocket and take a look whenever they need to throughout the day.
What is the refund policy?
For our 1/2 day, full day, and weekly unit registrants, we are so happy to say that we are able to refund unused units, less a 7% processing fee. Entire summer registrations are considered maximized at 6 weeks, and there is no refund for the 7th or 8th week if it is unused.
Can I switch days and weeks?
If we can transfer an unused week to an available week, we will, and the same goes for days. We may need up to 5 business days to process a transfer, so let us know as soon as possible that you need a transfer in order to avoid disruptions to camp attendance. We can transfer unused spring break units (week or days) to available summer units when possible. There is not a fee to transfer nor any fee adjustments on transfers.
What/when will my child eat during the day?
Is anyone their best when they’re hungry? Nope. Let’s talk food:
Morning snack is at 9:30a and afternoon snack is at 3:30p. Campers should have breakfast before they arrive in the morning.
Lunch: Daily options include cheese pizza, gluten free cheese pizza, and, daily feature(s). Campers select their lunch preference at check-in. If it is not a set snack or meal time and they would like to eat, campers can always stop at the HQ desk and request a snack and we will find one for them.
Does Jen’s Camp follow a schedule?
Yes! Every day we have a pattern of activities that we follow. Some days we have special events or activities planned and those happen at the same time, on the same days, every week.